How to Get a Donor to Meet with You for the First Time

Have you ever tried to get a donor to meet with you in person?
Did you succeed? Was it challenging?

This is a question I get asked all the time: How do I get a donor to meet with me for the first time?

If you’re wondering how to get a donor to meet with you for the first time, I want you to ask yourself, “What is the goal for the meeting?” This will help you clarify the purpose of the meeting in your own mind.

Your First Meeting with a Donor

Here are some good goals for your first meeting:

You want to thank the donor for any past gifts.

You want to provide brief programs updates and answer any questions the donor may have.

Most importantly, you want to get to know the donor better, including building your relationship with them. You will do this, in large part, by asking their advice (more on this below).

CAUTION — If you simply tell them you want to thank them and provide an update, they won’t feel the need to meet with you. Why? Because you can send them updates in the mail. They’ll tell you that an in-person ‘thank you’ isn’t necessary.

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Amy Eisenstein, ACFRE, is one of the country's leading fundraising consultants. She's raised millions of dollars for dozens of nonprofits through event planning, grant writing, capital campaigns, and major gift solicitations. She has a real talent for making fundraising simple and accessible for her clients and followers.

Amy, thanks for the helpful information, I find it very useful. What would you suggest is an effective approach to meet a person who has no prior involvement with your organization? How would you ask them for advice, if they don’t even know what you do?

What works for me in this situation is to rely on board members and leadership that knows the person to open the door for me by making a phone call to encourage them to accept a call and invitation to meet with me. I guarantee there will be no ask and it is an opportunity to exchange information and meet one another. Without the door opener it is very difficult from my experience.

Good question. Meeting with someone who is unfamiliar with your organization can often be challenging. First, (as Jon suggests) look for someone at your organization who knows the person and can make the introduction. Using technology like LinkedIn can help you find existing connections. If none exist, I would go back to the “advice” request. I would start by sending them an email introducing yourself and asking to meet with them briefly to ask their advice. Hope that helps.

Agreed. Asking advice from donors can help get the appointment and that advice is often invaluable. Having just started a new position, my entire focus is getting that first visit. Good post and great focus for me over the next several weeks.